2 Best Mobile Applications to Avoid Speed Traps

As long as I am a driver, I always remember people were flashing their headlights at oncoming traffic, trying to warn fellow drivers on the speed traps and police cars on the road. Whether it's right or wrong, that sort of helpfulness has gone high-tech.

At first, there were anti-radars. In some countries they are legal, in other – they are outlawed. The lack of the international consistency tells a lot on the controversial subject. Let’s admit, if we are not violating any traffic laws, we should not be afraid of police. Definitely, I refer to the civilized countries only, where traffic police is not one of the multiple money extorting government-supported groups. So, the gadget assists the violators to get unpunished? True, and wrong. Look on the topic from other perspective. Driver gets warning and slows down, “wakes up”, becomes more alert and assertive. The overall outcome is quite positive. That is why, most of the schools and government buildings are equipped with radar-type devices, forcing the passer-by cars, equipped with anti-radar to slow down.

With Internet penetration, the new web communities were developed, sharing information among users on speed traps, hidden cameras, and other annoying elements of the enforcement agencies. However, their usefulness was quite limited before these services became really mobile, in a form of smart phones applications. In this post, we will review several apps for your mobile phones.

1. Trapster

Trapster, is probably one of the most popular such applications. With improved mobile phone GPS and location detection, it allows users of iPhones, Blackberies, Droids and other GPS devices to do much more than just warn of speed traps, but to offer tips on enforcement cameras and road hazards. With nearly 15 million users (reporting on more than 5 million traps), chances are the road you’re driving at any given time has somebody reporting what’s up ahead. You can also make it a mobile social network, spotting your friends on the road in real time…kind of the smartphone equivalent of CB Radio.

The app can deliver voice alerts as you approach a trap or if you exceed a speed limit. You have the option of becoming a member of Trapster's network and reporting speed traps, cameras, or other traffic hazards, or confirming existing ones. Users can also mark road hazards, breakdowns, and construction sites for the benefit of their fellow drivers. On trips over unfamiliar roads, this app is essential.

Video Presentation:

2. Waze

Another very popular app is Waze. It also works with the major smartphones, but it functions more like an online driving community. You get tips on how to outsmart traffic jams, directions and navigation info and, of course, warnings of traffic enforcement zones. You can even make it a game, racking up points by making frequent reports. Just drive around with the app on and it gathers and shares traffic conditions, alerting you to slowdowns and hazards up ahead.

Video Presentation:

Sources and Additional Information:

http://autos.aol.com/article/how-to-avoid-speed-traps/

http://www.seminolevoice.com/news/2011/apr/21/Speed-trap-app/

iPad2 Security Flaw

The worrisome security flaw has been reported by respectable 9to5Mac site. You can call it a software bug, or you can call it a special feature. In any case, you should be aware on that, as it may cause you some unpleasant surprise if some notes, saved on your tablet, will get to somebody, they were not intended for.

And now watch the video:

As you can see in our video above, a Smart Cover can essentially unlock an iPad 2. The person who unlocks your iPad 2 will not have complete access to your iPad, but will be able to gain entry to whatever you locked your iPad 2 on. If your iPad 2 went to sleep in Mail, Safari, Messages, Contacts, or Maps, you can imagine the sorts of personal information that can be viewed on your iPad. If you left your iPad 2 on its home screen, the person can view which applications you have on your device, control media from the multitasking bar, but not much else.

How to re-create it:

1) Lock a password protected iPad 2

2) Hold down power button until iPad 2 reaches turn off slider

3) Close Smart Cover

4) Open Smart Cover

5) Click cancel on the bottom of the screen

Temporary solution is after the break: You can temporarily fix this bug by disabling Smart Cover unlocking in the iPad 2 settings menu under the General tab.

Should you take marriage compatibility test before your marriage?

When you are in love, you want to be forever with your sweetheart. You get married, and you are happy as never before, and then you notice that your beloved partner starts gradually changing. And maybe you are changing yourself? Or you both are changing? Or…?

Marriage is an important phase in people’s life. It is the union of two persons from different places, different families, different cultures, different mindsets who join to supposedly live together for the rest of their life. Not far ago, arranged marriages were typical in most cultures. But now most of the mainstream American parents have not much authority to dictate their offspring whom to marry and when. So, young people make this decision more or less independently from the peer pressure. But are these love marriages are happier than arranged marriages in the past? Hard to say, since no statistical data may accommodate in full the fact of public perception. Divorces were not acceptable due to the cultural, societal, and religious guidelines, while now the most common remaining limitations are purely financial and children behalf.

BTW, for arranged marriage benefits, interesting results were received in the recent research performed in India, the country, where arranged marriage is still acceptable. A study performed by the University of Rajasthan, compared love strength in love marriages and arranged marriages, using an American love scale, called the Rubin Love Scale. And obtained results were amazing (at least for me). As expected, love in the love marriages starts out very high. And then over time it decreases, which is also understandable. And in the arranged marriages, the love at first is relatively low. That is also can be easily explained: in some cases the people barely know each other, sometimes they’ve had a half an hour of contact in total before they got married. The unexpected results come when it is found that it increases gradually, surpasses the love in the love marriages at about five years. And 10 years out it’s twice as strong.

OK, let’s assume that the results are valid, and there is the food for thoughts. What makes arranged marriage substantially more successful than love marriage? May be, because parents or other responsible people can more or less objectively judge both sides, and their vision is not blurred by passion. May be because they do not base their decisions on subconscious attraction, but rather on the clean personalities’ evaluation for the marriage compatibility?

Where I am leading? No, not towards arranged marriage, and not against love as ruling factor for making the important decision. I just recommend stopping for a moment and performing compatibility testing before making the formal arrangements.

Marriage compatibility tests, available online and offline, are instruments, giving couples an evaluation and a general idea as to their differences in personality and their relationship in general. On the simplest term, they are regarded as a relationship checkers. Couples who want to know more about their partner and discover each other’s strengths and weakness often indulge in this practice. This includes commonalities and personality differences. You may have the chance to date your partner and yes, you do become aware of who they really are but this happens through a very gradual process over an extended period of time. Using a marriage compatibility test, you can complete this process much more quickly and more in depth.

In a marriage compatibility test, there are NO right or wrong answers. All answers just offer insights into who you are as long as you provide your answers truthfully. Generally, questions cover issues about your personality type, relationship lifestyle and your day to day routines. Thus, it gives you a general idea about each other’s differences, strengths and weaknesses that can lead to a better understanding of yourself and your partner. Any possible conflicts can be identified and dealt with through the therapeutic process. As a result, issues can be worked through before things get out of hand.

And that is the main point: not necessary the compatibility issues should cause your separation. You may enter to marriage with open eyes and clear understanding on what and how you will have to deal with that.

There are multiple tests, you can do online, starting from the serious psychological questionnaires and ending with humorous love strength tests. While the value might be different, even the most stupid test can help you to discover your partner thoughts, personality traits, wishes and desires. More you do, better you know the person, you are going to marry. And LOVE matters, it really is!

Jung Marriage Test

Jung Marriage Test is probably one of the most serious attempts to check if two people are compatible and have good chances to be happy together. It is based on a personality type, defined by the three criteria introduced by Carl Jung:

• Extraversion - Introversion
• Sensing - Intuition
• Thinking - Feeling

And the forth criteria added later by Isabel Briggs Myers.

• Judging - Perceiving

The different combinations of the four criteria define sixteen possible personality types. The type formula is denoted by the first letters of the combination, e.g.

ENFP - Extravert Intuitive Feeling Perceiving

Once you know the type formula and strength of the preferences of both partners in a matching couple, it is possible to calculate the index of compatibility (MatchIndex) between the partners. MatchIndex is of such great importance that, practically, its role may be decisive one in the partners' relationships.

A high MatchIndex ensures good and stable long-term relations. If the partners' MatchIndex is low, then in the vast majority of cases the relationships are subject to conflict.

Full description: http://www.humanmetrics.com/infomate/JungLoveMatch.htm

This test is not free, but the cost of $6 is quite affordable, and worth investing.

Other Tests

Other tests, offered in this post, are free for all, but they are not so sophisticated than the first one. In any case, try and see:

• Marriage Compatibility Test by Barron Stofik: http://www.drstansbury.com/marriage.htm
• Marriage Compatibility Test by Robert Sternberg: http://www.marriagehelper.com/marriage_compatibility_test.php
• Compatibility Test by Similar Minds: http://similarminds.com/match/